


sing a song for me, love you endlessly

by harukatenoh



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: M/M, my children
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-07 23:06:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4281432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harukatenoh/pseuds/harukatenoh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elliot exercises his unparalleled talent of not seeing things that are right before his eyes until it's too late. Luckily for him, Leo bails him out before it actually is too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	sing a song for me, love you endlessly

**Author's Note:**

> i read pandora hearts in like, 2 days and finished at 3 am sobbing on a thursday night.  
> and now, here i am, on the road to recovery, aka denying events that happened in canon bc elliot's alive right??? pshhh he's alive and dating leo what a beautiful world we live in.
> 
> this fic goes out 2 henry, who has screamed with me over elliot/leo many a day.
> 
> work title is from stuck on you by new politics

Elliot never really considered having a girlfriend. Between the Baskervilles, illegal contractors and people getting murdered, the thought never had the chance to cross his mind. Of course, that was until somebody had mentioned it in a passing comment at some party. He had brushed it aside then, both out loud and in his mind.

It wasn’t until now that the prospects of crushing, liking, _loving_ , properly set into his brain, and he couldn’t shake them off.

He thinks long and hard about it, longer than he would usually attribute to something as fanciful as dating (especially considering the infinitely more pressing matters currently going on) but he just can’t let it go, so he goes and seeks advice.

“Leo, have you ever been in love?”

The question is asked as they sit together at a piano, Leo’s gaze on the sheet music and Elliot’s gaze on Leo.

Leo turns to Elliot, surprised at first. Elliot watches him expectantly, waiting for his answer, so he shrugs and turns back to the piano music.

“Yeah.” Is the short reply, and it’s Elliot’s turn to be surprised. Then he narrows his eyes, leaning in closer to Leo.

“Who?” He asks, just a hint of a challenge in his voice. Leo doesn’t look at him, instead he maps out the notes in front of him onto the piano, not making a sound.

Finally, he retorts “None of your business,” and it looks like the matter is settled. Elliot isn’t happy with this answer, but he doesn’t press it any further. The movement of Leo’s fingers had caught his attention, and he leaves beside thoughts of love for now.

(Later that day, he can be found asking people if they’ve seen Leo alone with anybody before.

They say that they've only ever seen Leo with Elliot.)

* * *

 

 

A few hours after that, they’re sitting on Elliot’s bed when the subject is brought up again. Leo abruptly put down his book, a question on his lips.

“Why did you ask me that?” He says, just demanding enough to irk Elliot. It’s the natural response to Elliot’s earlier question, but that doesn’t mean Elliot isn’t caught off guard.

“Oh…” he considers, “somebody mentioned something about a girlfriend at the party yesterday. A girlfriend for me.” Elliot isn’t sure why he put in that last bit, or why he glances sideways at Leo as he says it, as if gauging his reaction. Leo’s expression remains neutral, and Elliot isn’t sure why he feels the tiniest bit disappointed.

“Well, do you like somebody?” The confrontation had left Leo’s voice, now just reasonable off-handedness. It’s weird, the absence of a usual sharp comment throwing Elliot off balance.

He thinks about Leo’s question for quite a while, long enough for Leo to start reading again, and also repeat it, in case he didn’t hear. He finally comes up with a “No, I don’t think so,” and settles into quiet satisfaction.

Leo, beside him, puts his book down again and turns to study Elliot. In a measured, careful tone, he says “Well then, you don’t need to worry about a girlfriend, do you?”

Elliot finds that reasonable enough, and gives Leo a relaxed smile, deciding to end their conversation on a good note. Leo smiles back, and it was only due to his long fringe that Elliot doesn’t catch the sadness in his eyes.

A blessing, really, to Leo.

* * *

“Tell me who you love.” Elliot commands, his face dangerously close to Leo. Leo wishes he wouldn’t throw around the word love so easily, like he’s discussing the weather. Maybe it was all the same to Elliot, but that isn’t something to be thought about.

“Is that an order from the esteemed noble Elliot Nightray?” Leo says bitingly. Elliot huffs angrily, his eyebrows furrowing.

“Would you answer if it was?” He responds with equal force. They face off, staring at each other with slight scowls on their faces.

“No.” Leo snaps, then turning his head away from Elliot’s gaze curtly. Elliot is left fuming, but Leo doesn’t have the patience for this conversation. “Why does it matter?”

Elliot doesn’t have an answer, but he doesn’t let it go either. “It just does!” He shouts back, grabbing Leo’s arm. Leo jerks away from him, standing up angrily.

“No it doesn’t! Believe me Elliot, if you think who I like is going to clash w- with, whoever you’re so suddenly interested in, it’s definitely not.” Leo’s back is turned, his fists clenched. He’s just as worked up as Elliot now, shouting back resentfully. The only reasonable explanation to him for all the times they’ve had to talk about this is that Elliot likes somebody, and the thought makes him feel sick. “Just go… ask her out or something. Seduce her with your money and good charms, why don’t you!”

Elliot immediately is taken aback, and he’s already preparing his reply, but it dies in his mouth with the overwhelming realization of _something is wrong_. This isn’t the usual tone for one of their arguments and _god_ , Leo is trembling. He stands up, reaching out a hand to Leo, who steps away from him stiffly.

“Leo..?” Elliot murmurs cautiously, withdrawing his outstretched hand. Leo breathes out slowly, his body relaxing, but it’s less like he’s calming down and more like he’s just been defeated, his anger deflating, leaving the hurt behind.

Leo is glad that Elliot can’t see him clutching his chest, can’t see his fingers digging into the skin around his heart. After what feels like forever, Leo drops his hand and turns around listlessly, not making eye contact with Elliot. He doesn’t need to see the earnest, open concern that would be painted across Elliot’s face, because no matter how _concerned_ he is, Leo is beyond his help.

“Are you ok?” Elliot asks, three-parts worried, one part cautious. Leo stares grimly at the ground, counting to ten, before nodding.

“Yeah.” A lackluster response, but the finality of it is evident, and Elliot once again reluctantly drops the subject.

He muses for a while, sitting on his bed and staring at his covers while Leo resumes reading beside him. The atmosphere in the room is strained, and Elliot wants nothing more than to be released from its suffocating grip. Combing his mind desperately, he comes to the conclusion that the reason Leo is being so strange is probably his fault, so he should try to fix it.

“Hey, Leo… when I said I didn’t like anybody, I was telling the truth.” He ventures, hesitantly shaping each word.

Leo looks over, something unreadable crossing his face, and he opens his mouth to respond, before Elliot starts blurting out more. He can’t stand how dark Leo’s face looked in that moment and he searches for something else to say, anything to relieve the tension.

“And… if you’re worried that I’m going to get a girlfriend and leave you behind or something then don’t be because honestly the thought of it is ridiculous, I would never do that to you.” He finishes strongly, grabbing Leo by the chin and turning him to face Elliot so that they’re looking dead into the other’s eyes.

Leo’s features are molded in a strange way, one that Elliot can’t recognize. It’s different, but not a bad different like before. If anything, it borders more on relieved and something that looked like hope. The tension between them had broken, and Elliot feels a weight lifting from off of him. He moves his head back, away from Leo’s, but doesn’t move his hand from where it is, keeping Leo in place. They stay staring at each other, and Elliot smiles hesitantly. Leo responds with the barest of a smile, but it’s something.

“Anyway, it’s not like I have time for a girlfriend, since I’m running after you all the time.” Elliot says, his confidence growing again. It’s a deft switch to the tone of the conversation, and a welcome one.

Leo’s face instantly changes, but it’s the usual indignant anger that’s present, not the cold, alien fury of before. Elliot is so relieved he feels like laughing out loud as he meets Leo’s incredulous gaze and Leo starts to say “You’re the one running after m-” but is cut off because Elliot is pulling Leo towards him and leaning in and pressing his mouth to Leo’s mouth and the world around him feels on fire and-

 

Leo pulls away, and all at once, Elliot’s mood is crushed. His mouth tastes of Leo, of vanilla and maple syrup and the blissful sweetness sends his head spinning.

Then, the reality of what he just did sets in, and his breath is catching in his throat and his heart is going at 300km/h and he has to force himself to calm down, gulping in air.

 _Oh my god. What did I just do._ Elliot is panicking, unable to collect his thoughts in the face of Leo, who he had just _kissed_.

Leo places a hand on Elliot’s cheek, tilting his head up to meet Leo’s scattered, wide-eyed gaze.

“You said you didn’t like anybody!” He stammers, and it comes out like a shout, even though Elliot is sure by the way he flinches after saying it that it wasn’t supposed to be, not in the least.

He’s right of course, Elliot did say that, and it takes a while for Elliot to form a response, captivated by Leo’s intense gaze the whole time.

“I guess I did.” He offers, and Leo’s expression darkens once again so Elliot’s mind is sent scrambling for something else to say, something else to add. “I think… that’s what I thought. Maybe I just didn’t realize.” Elliot struggles to move around the words, but puts them out into the open nonetheless, praying that Leo would understand.

Leo is quiet for a while, making Elliot anticipate the worst, but eventually his mouth curves into an exasperated smile and he gives a short, breathy laugh. And then another. Elliot stares in marvel at the sight before him, Leo basically gasping with laughter, until there’s a punch delivered to his shoulder. Leo punches him again, just for good measure.

“Oh my god. I’ve fallen in love with the world’s most oblivious jerk.” Leo says with mocking awe, once he had collected himself a bit and Elliot’s heart skips a few beats at his use of the word love. He too has to wonder in awe how he could have missed it, how he could have missed the fire that built in his heart whenever he was around Leo, how he could have missed the pure ecstasy running through his veins that the thought of Leo being here with him, Leo existing.

“Sorry,” he mumbles, his cheeks flushed. Leo just looks at him, his disbelieving smile turning into a proper grin. He leans forward, bringing their foreheads together, and they stay there for a while, with Elliot smiling so much his face hurts and Leo’s expression mirroring his.

“So, about this whole girlfriend thing,” Leo starts, and he’s teasing, Elliot knows, but he jumps in with an answer anyway.

“Boyfriend. It’s a boyfriend thing.” He says it seriously, and Leo looks at him with wonderment, mouthing the word _boyfriend_ , letting it roll across his tongue.

“So then, next time somebody asks about your romantic interests?” Leo asks anyway, even though he knows Elliot, and he knows what the answer will be.

Elliot gives him a smug smile, and murmurs ‘I’ll handle it.”

He pushes forward, bringing their mouths together once again, and Leo is certain that this is Elliot’s chosen method of romantic diplomacy. He smiles against Elliot’s lips, because it’s probably not going to go down very well, but it’s so very Elliot-like that he can’t argue with it, and the prospect of letting Elliot kiss him some more is so much more tantalizing than any deterrent the general public could give him.

 


End file.
